The Association of Injured Workers and Ex-Workers of General Motors Colmotores (ASOTRECOL) is a Colombian association whose stated goal is to protect the rights of GM workers and ex-workers and to denounce rights abuses allegedly committed by GM in Colombia.

Background

ASOTRECOL is a group of 68 current and former workers at

GM Colmotores General Motors Colmotores S.A. is a Colombian automobile manufacturer based in Bogotá and has been the local subsidiary of General Motors since 1979. Established in 1957 as "Fábrica Colombiana de Automotores S.A." (shortened "Colmotores)", they b ...

, GM's Colombian subsidiary, which formed on May 19, 2011. ASOTRECOL set up a shelter in front of the U.S. Embassy in Colombia's capital, Bogotá, on August 2, 2011. After a year of peaceful protest, several members sewed their mouths closed and initiated a

hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke a feeling of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most ...

on August 1, 2012. The association's members were fired by GM after they incurred injuries while working at its Bogotá plant and received no medical benefits or severance. They are seeking a solution with GM Colmotores that would include compensation for medical costs and reintegration into GM's workforce.

Disputes

ASOTRECOL's Claims

ASOTRECOL alleges that its members incurred work-related injuries at the GM plant, and that GM illegally fired workers who were consequently unable to perform their work. ASTORECOL's 68 members suffer from various injuries associated with strenuous, repetitive motions, including: musculoskeletal problems,

herniated disc Spinal disc herniation is an injury to the cushioning and connective tissue between vertebrae, usually caused by excessive strain or trauma to the spine. It may result in back pain, pain or sensation in different parts of the body, and physical ...

carpal tunnel In the human body, the carpal tunnel or carpal canal is the passageway on the palmar side of the wrist that connects the forearm to the hand. The tunnel is bounded by the bones of the wrist and flexor retinaculum from connective tissue. Norma ...

, elbow and shoulder

tendonitis Tendinopathy, a type of tendon disorder that results in pain, swelling, and impaired function. The pain is typically worse with movement. It most commonly occurs around the shoulder ( rotator cuff tendinitis, biceps tendinitis), elbow ( tennis e ...

tinnitus Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no corresponding external sound is present. Nearly everyone experiences a faint "normal tinnitus" in a completely quiet room; but it is of concern only if it is bothersome, interferes with normal hearin ...

(chronic ringing in the ears), elbow

epicondylitis Epicondylitis is a type of musculoskeletal disorder that refers to an inflammation of an epicondyle. It is caused by repetitive motion. In athletes, it is linked to poor technique. Nonsurgical treatment is effective in approximately 95% of cases. T ...

, knee problems,

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

, and spinal injuries. Many have undergone multiple surgeries. GM Colmotores denies all claims, asserting that its number one priority is the health and well-being of its workers.

ASOTRECOL's Demands

ASOTRECOL's demands are that GM agree to: 1) recognize members' injuries as occupational, 2) assume the costs of the corresponding medical treatment, 3) pay pensions or disability to those who are so severely injured that they can no longer work or can only work part-time, and 4) compensate workers for the economic damage that they have suffered, including lost wages and lost homes. GM alleges that ASOTRECOL members' claims are unfounded, and refuses to resolve their dispute. GM and ASOTRECOL have engaged in mediation five times to date, and GM unilaterally withdrew from the latest one, held on August 6.

International Support

ASOTRECOL has received widespread support from

civil society Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

Labor unions A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits (su ...

and organizations, including the AFL-CIO,

United Auto Workers The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW), is an American labor union that represents workers in the United States (including Puerto Rico) ...

United Steelworkers The United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, commonly known as the United Steelworkers (USW), is a general trade union with members across North America. Headquar ...

, Labor Notes, and U.S. Labor Education in the Americas Project, have all issued statements in solidarity with ASOTRECOL.

Human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...

organizations, such as

Witness for Peace Witness for Peace (WFP) is a United States-based grassroots organization founded in 1983 that opposed the Reagan administration's support of the Nicaraguan ''Contras'', denouncing widespread atrocities by these counterrevolutionary groups. Witness ...

, the

Washington Office on Latin America The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) is a United States non-governmental organization (NGO) whose stated goal is to promote human rights, democracy, and social and economic justice in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Washington Offi ...

, the

Latin America Working Group Founded in 1983, the Latin America Working Group (LAWG) is one of the United States' longest-standing coalitions dedicated to foreign policy. LAWG and its sister organization, the Latin America Working Group Education Fund, work with over 60 major ...

, have also expressed support for ASOTRECOL and advocated for a resolution to its case. People across the United States have shown support for ASOTRECOL by

fasting Fasting is the abstention from eating and sometimes drinking. From a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (see " Breakfast"), or to the metabolic state achieved after ...

in solidarity with the hunger strikers or by holding protests.

References

{{Reflist General Motors Workers' rights organizations